One of These Workouts Is Not Like the Other

Some TRX action at Camp Darby. Credit: Joyce Costello

TRX Boot Camp at Equinox might have boot camp in its name, but it's not your typical boot camp. For starters, it uses the TRX suspension trainers that uses bodyweight and gravity to perform hundreds of exercises. And it's most certainly NOT the boot camp-like workout I so lovingly despised when compared to the interval training workout at Lateral Fitness. That's probably why I forgot that it was actually the last boot camp workout I ached through and not the hated one.

I am addicted to TRX Boot camp, specifically the one taught by Gideon Akande on Wednesday nights at Equinox Lincoln Park. I'm hooked. I'm obsessed. I make it my mission to stop working and get to class. And it makes for one crazy Wednesday workout(s) because I'm equally addicted to the Shockwave circuits offered midday (taught by Gideon and fellow trainer Mike Nickles, it's the fastest 45 minutes you'll sweat through, but that's a separate story). Getting me to choose between the two doesn't happen--I just make myself extra sore the next day, or collapse halfway through a core set with my abs aching and my legs burning.

Time to Get Lateral

Lateral Fitness's main floor 

The last time I went to a bootcamp-like workout, I hated it. The minute hand on the clock wouldn't budge, the recruits kept to themselves for the most part (or whomever they already knew in class, which spelled disaster for this newbie), the fearless leader was more into shouting commands than motivating or correcting our poor form (you know that bootcamp persona that you either love or hate), and the moves, while challenging, often seemed to lack a sensible purpose (probably because of my poor form).

My first visit to the Recruit high intensity interval class at the newly opened Lateral Fitness was the exact opposite. The class flew by, the recruits were properly introduced to one another and class size was limited to eight, the leader--Lateral's co-owner Erik Marthaler--was engaging and motivating, and the moves--if you did them correctly--got you to notice your weaknesses (hello tight hip flexors, nice to see you again) and reach a point of full-on exhaustion.

Considering I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I accepted the invitation less than two hours before class (thank you cancellation), I was pleasantly surprised. And I got a killer workout. I had already broken a sweat before we finished our first 10 minutes where the burpees, jumps, push-ups and sit-ups hardly felt like a warm up. My quads screamed for relief during the lunge and squat set. I didn't know medicine ball throwdowns could crunch your obliques, while standing up, or that the minute rotations through cardio and strength on the gym floor could be so exhausting (I'm blaming the treadmill hills climbs). And my abs literally gave out on me halfway through the core section, protesting the crunches. Where one intense workout failed, Recruit soared with flying colors--and reassured me that I can fall in love with intervals outside my comfort zone.  

Boot Camp Day 6: Prized Possession

You'd think that an extra half hour of sleep would be a good thing. It was, but it wasn't enough. I was ready to roll over in bed, ignore the obnoxious ring on my phone--the only sound loud enough to wake me up--and spend my morning sleeping longer than usual. Sound familiar?

But you know that feel-good sensation you get after you worked out, especially on those mornings where it's especially tough? I had one of those--again--except today I didn't just give myself an imaginary pat on the back for my efforts. I lucked out and was actually rewarded. With a YogiToes. A bright orange one. Something I've coveted for a year, since my sister showed me hers, told me its purpose and bragged about her ebay-shopping deal.

That's one way to make it worthwhile to work out even when your muscles hurt, you could have used at least 3 more snoozes on the alarm and you're still feeling the effects from Friday's circuit. The results that you start to see only six days into the boot camp program are the other reasons--and those are even better than receiving a reward.

Like the boot camp challenge. On Monday, we warmed up by counting the number of push-ups, sit-ups and jumps over a block we could do in a minute. Today the challenge was back. Let the groaning and grunting start now. If you thought a minute's worth of push-ups was hard on the first day when you're out of shape and lacking arm strength (that's why you signed up for BootCamp isn't it?), it's even more difficult when your arms, chest and legs have been put through a battery of weight-bearing exercises for five days. But if you improve--and most, if not all of us did--then you've succeeded.

Like the muscle definition. Here's another recurrence back to day one where we were measured like those kids who go to fat camp or the Heavy cast to count the number of inches lost around our middles, waists, and flexed arms and legs. It's a little intimidating, even the second time through, and you can only hope that what you notice in the mirror--like a flatter tummy, more quad and a tricep that doesn't go into hiding--is being reflected in those numbers.

Like the healthy eating. We've been encouraged to eat clean, nutrient rich, unprocessed foods all week. We've been urged to skip the late-night dining. But it takes a while for that to sink in, the adjustment period, and you finally start to hit your stride when week one comes to a close. You're not craving that dessert, or only noshing on a banana to start your day, or nibbling on something up until the minute you hit the bed.


Like the ease that's starting to come with the workouts. Those 10 circuits are no longer as dreadful as they once seemed at the start of the week. You're curious to see what the different stations entail. And more often than not, you're relieved to see a familiar exercise--heel clicks--or notice that one you dreaded--jump rope--didn't make an appearance.


Like the soreness that signals your muscles making changes. Ouch, ouch, ouch. With no weights at the stations, I thought it might be easy. But moving your body weight, in the ways we did, was tough stuff. My inner thighs burned for the rest of the day. My abs and obliques throbbed from the boat row.

One thing I learned today? The traveling mule jumps (think hind legs of a bucking bronco and that's what we're recreating) affirmed why I quit gymnastics as a kid. Inversion plus Kate equals bad idea. At least we get brownie points for trying, no matter how ugly it looks.

Photo of my prize grabbed from everydayyoga.com.

Boot Camp Day 3: Hump Day

Either boot camp is getting easier or I'm starting to get the hang of this morning workout routine. Choice No. 1 is out of the question, considering I'm still sore from the first days and felt different muscles kicking into action today which I'll feel tomorrow. And considering I had three coaches yelling in my face at various times during the workout. Go faster. Move your legs. Tuck your tailbone under. Hips up. Butt down.

Choice No. 2 it is. Easier to get out bed. Easier to put an outfit together. Easier--and faster--to walk to the studio. Easier to survive the workout--or more used to it. Easier to focus while plugging away on my computer. And I shouldn't admit it, but easier to sneak into the bedroom for a refreshing nap.

Ah but the workout. And the 10 circuits that have varied with the exception of the jump rope (yep, it's still there to torment me). These are challenging even when you don't have to rapid-fire your legs (yesterday's bent-knee leg lifts while standing on a platform) or jump quickly from side to side (Monday's skater jumps). What seems like a relatively calm hour is secretly firing those muscles to produce results that brought you to boot camp in the first place. And when the cardio components--football runs standing atop a Bosu, the jump rope, the jumping lunges where you switch from leg to leg--aren't lumped together, it feels easier on my system. Sure, I still struggle with the stability ball when I have to crunch my legs in, and my sore arms are screaming even more during the wide-arm push-ups, but I'm actually enjoying the curtsy lunges and pulling my elbows up with the resistance band. Seriously.

According to my coach Amy, Wednesday seems to be the day everything clicks--she felt it too (many of the coaches are BootCamp alums and they trained like us the week before). And with the exception of a few work conflicts, our group was still intact.

But the hardest part? Attending a regular yoga class later in the day. I'm zero for three. Zero for five if I count skipping Saturday and Sunday before camp started, too. I keep repeating I'll do it tomorrow. We'll see...


Photo grabbed from Kenny Holston 21 at flickr.

Boot Camp Day 2: Are We Done Yet?

Sumo squats? Back rows? Spider push-ups? Walking backward with a resistance band wrapped around my ankles? I can do these--I've seen them, and done them, plenty of times in yoga sculpt, with the exception of the resistance band which got a lot of use in physical therapy. But it's another story when the familiar is paired with the unfamiliar or the unfavorable, and you never feel like you catch a breathing break unless it's the minute water stop at the halfway mark of the four circuit rotations.

I don't like jumping. I decided during today's BootCamp. No more tripping over the jump rope, no more leaping across the room, no more begging for the time to be up, please. I survived round one of yesterday's skater jumps--bounding from cone to cone using the outer leg and hips to really reach--but after that I was starting to hate them and my non-stretchy hips. If you've ever seen me try to get into frog pose, you'll see what I mean: my hips scream in pain the lower they have to go. If I wanted a quick boost to the heart rate, I found it in today's wide leg jumps, loading in the legs to leap to a cone then reload and leap to the next one. But over and over again my body said, "no, thank you," as the sweat started pouring and all form went out the window. I can't even elaborate on the jump rope. I lose my rhythm in one swift swoop, trip over the darn thing and can't start again so I'm forced into kicking my knees high to my hips and those are even more dreadful on this girl's body. Then I really want to rotate to the next station, but the minute drones on...and on...and on.

And I don't trust myself on rounded exercise equipment. Mentally I'm telling myself I'm going to fall over, collapse, hurt myself, you name it, the minute I step on top of the Bosu ball or have to use my legs with the stability ball. Putting your hands on the ground and your legs up on the stability ball is hard enough balance wise, and it gets worse when you're supposed to be working your lower abs to pull your legs in and stand upside down in a pike-like position. Trust me, there will be bruises. As for the Bosu, it's the high knees coming back to haunt me.

But that's another sweat session in the books...a super sweaty one too. I was already sore going in, but now the unable-to-move feeling has stuck with me all day. And I unfortunately haven't done anything to help it like a CoreRestore class or a Hot Power Fusion, anything to help stretch out those sore spots. Tomorrow, I tell ya.


Photo grabbed from andrewmalone at flickr, featuring my nemesis, the jump rope.

Boot Camp Day 1: Lessons Learned

Down dogs feel so good--if there's time post Boot Camp.

This is not going to be easy. Not that I ever expected a workout with the name Boot Camp ever would be. But really, surviving the next two weeks won't be easy. I thought that before today's first class, the tension building as I sat through yesterday's orientation and I listened to how I'd have to alter my eating plan and the time I set my alarm. I'm still thinking it now as I struggle to get through the work day, sore to the core, arms aching and biceps burning. Oh wait, that was during the workout...now it's my butt that's burning.

Do I regret enlisting? Not yet...and I don't think I ever will. The first workout was a challenge from arriving early in the morning--I think my doorman was shocked to see me bundled up and walking out the door at 6:55 a.m.--to enduring each round of the 10 circuits. And then having the stamina to stay awake, and alert, for the rest of the day. That workout might be done, and the day feels so much longer, but there's still a lot to be learned. Here are my takeaways from the first 24 hours:

I'm constantly hungry. I heeded the orientation advice to replenish with some protein shortly after the workout, but I still want to eat. Salad, oatmeal, bananas, Trader Joe's 9 Whole Grain Crunch cereal, nuts. I'm surprised I actually got work done because I was running into the kitchen every few minutes to find another snack or meal.

Naps are good. I don't know how some of the boot campers go straight to the office after class. I snuck in a nap mid-morning to recharge my engine and was way too thankful that my office is only steps from my living room couch.

How am I going to fit in this second workout? First I thought I'd follow up with my usual routine of yoga sculpt, but after holding a 10-pound medicine ball over my head while squatting, and doing bicep curls, tricep extensions and push-ups among other activities, I really just wanted to go to bed and return to another class later. But when you're thinking about dragging yourself out the door at 8:30 p.m., only to be returning to the same place again the next morning, my grand plans to try hot yoga were abandoned.

The price is right. At $399, less if you have a CorePower Yoga membership or are a program alumni, this two week program doesn't break the bank for what you're getting. An hour-long workout six days a week for two weeks, all the yoga you could want during that period, a coach who checks up on you via email or phone, four coaches who encourage you throughout the day's workout and correct you if you're doing something wrong, nutrition suggestions, the chance to win raffle prizes. I'm sold, especially since I didn't expect the nutrition component and thought it only came with CorePower's other programs like the Wellness Cleanse or Live Lean (also pricier, I might add).

Thank goodness I'm a regular yoga sculptor. I'm recognizing some of the moves from my regular attendance at yoga sculpt so it's not too hard to adapt. But they are kicked up to an even higher level. I'm just happy to see these repeat moves--I'm terrible grasping the coordination with new ones.

Why can't I do more sit-ups? Today's class started with a challenge of counting push-ups, sit-ups and jumps over a block that we're going to repeat two more times during the program and see how we've improved. For thinking I'd be good at them, my sit-ups were horrendous; I almost did more push-ups than sit-ups in the allotted time. Yikes! Let's hope that improves the next time we're tested.

I shouldn't follow a boot camp with a yoga sculpt class. Not that I've tried--yet--but after the way I felt this morning, I didn't even think I'd be able to lift more than three pounds. And I usually use five- and eight-pound weights.

It's easy to slip out of proper alignment. How many times was I reminded to sit lower on the wall? Or drop my shoulders while holding the medicine ball? Or have my tailbone tucked under for me?

My yoga practice, especially my sculpting one, is going to change--for the better. I've been doing some of the routine moves incorrectly and not getting as much out of them as I should and could. Hmm, no wonder I wasn't seeing the results I thought I'd get from multiple classes in a week. That was fixed within a rotation of today's workout with my back row and burpee. 

It's easy to be intimidated. Some people make the work look easy, hardly sweating by the end of class. Others have done BootCamp before and know what to expect. And while appearance isn't everything, some look pretty fit, beanpole thin, too. Meanwhile, I'm soaked, constantly catching my breath during half the circuit and turning red then ashen during the other half. Even with marathons under my belt, this is a diferent animal, and I'm wishing that I started at a different station because my hardest stations hit me all at once to the point where my legs start burning and never stop.

Partners push you to work harder. We paired off to run through each station, which helps in more ways than simply knowing someone else in class. You have someone to share the pain--the coaches make the moves look a lot easier than they actually are. You feel more accountable for slacking off, especially when your partner effortlessly hops over the jump rope and you continue to trip (oh wait, that was me stumbling!). And you're going to try harder. I was pushed to stay in plank longer before dipping to my knees and tried a heavier weight because she was--or maybe that's just my competitive side showing its face.

A water bottle or two later and I survived. Sore, tired and resting up for day two. And hoping that I won't have to do any more skater jumps for the rest of the week.

Photos grabbed from lululemon athletica and ACEfitness at flickr.

Call To Duty

I'm officially scared. Boot camp hasn't even started yet, but I'm starting to question my enlistment. Orientation kicked off earlier--perfectly planned to either jump start your Sunday if you were like me and couldn't drag yourself out of bed when you saw the snow falling outside, or provide tons of time before any Super Bowl parties on the schedule for later--and that's where the fear started to set in. Promises to yourself, promises to your body, promises even to your coaches. I'm usually good with direction, or so I think, but now I'm starting to wonder if I can really keep up with class, especially now that I'm learning more about it than the keywords that ingrained themselves in my memory over the last few weeks.

It's not so much the workouts--I like getting my ass (excuse the language) handed to me and falling out of bed sore the following day, which I've done after a marathon or two--and their inscribed intensity, although I do wonder how I'll take six consecutive days of circuit work. I liked the circuits that alternated between a strength and cardio move, and could coach myself into their three rounds. But it's more the early mornings--yep, I'm still crabbing about having to be ready to move at 7:15 a.m. It's the contract I signed in my manual, telling myself I'd follow the program and suggestions to make me a stronger player. It's writing down my program goals and coming clean with my random snacking and midnight munchies (eating two to three hours before bedtime is a no-no). It's seeing the other boot campers who already look too fit to even be needing such a regimen.

But there is a bright side in my quest for a fit February even if I do have to sacrifice burning the midnight oil--a habit I should break anyway. Forget sitting on the couch after BootCamp to appease those sore muscles: We're encouraged to work out again whether it be on a yoga mat or elsewhere. And it should be for more than 20 minutes. I won't have to doubt my trips to the gym? I'm really in now, sacrifices and all. The grocery shopping--fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grains--could pose a problem if the snack attacks return, but I'll still be telling the peanuts and their sinful salt to take a vacation. Hey, a girl can try, can't she?

Join me on my two-week journey through my first tour of duty at CorePower Yoga's BootCamp. How do you think I'll fare? You'll have to check back for updates over the course of the next two weeks. But for now, I'm resting up for tomorrow (I already felt the burn today with our post-talk workout complete with high knees, squats, bicep curls, jumping jacks, leg lifts and more), hoping that I hear my alarm and wake up.

Oops, I Did It Again

What have I gotten myself into this time? Initial thoughts lean toward good-for-the-body, muscle-toning, sweat-soaking fitness dialed to the nth degree. Second thoughts spell disaster when I have to stick to a plan, work out with intensity but not under my watch, and swap my sweat sessions from evening to morning for two weeks at the start of February. It's nothing extraordinary by any stretch of the imagination, just me being intrigued for my next big thing. Some people have New Year's resolutions yet I seem to be making a February resolution. I signed up for the next round of CorePower Yoga's BootCamp.

The sales pitch finally worked. I could read the newsletters, see the instructors' T-shirts, hear the announcements about BootCamp starting soon, but until a week ago, the interest level didn't stick. Maybe it was the direct ask--Megan, who teaches the yoga sculpt class I'm religious about attending, confronted me after class one day wondering when I'd try BootCamp--that finally tipped the scale. That and finally having a two-week period where the camp would be held at the studio closest to my house (I don't do well with distance even if I am a runner, cyclist, Ironman), a start time that wasn't at the crack of dawn (I also don't do mornings after too many swim practices that started at 6 a.m.), and the inkling that camp might be less crowded than 9:30 a.m. class (I'm not a huge fan of crowds especially when I have to weasel a spot for myself to sculpt). Combine those and something clicked and I was sold, reserving my spot sight unseen.

When it comes to winter workouts, I secretly must love gravitating toward fitness challenges. In 2009, I was determined to test myself at Taste of VQ, wavering until what felt like the last second to enroll and then feeling the trepidation of a kindergartener on the first day of school in the hours before my first CompuTrainer ride--it was the 40-minute fit test, I swear. Last year, I didn't have specifics aside from increasing yoga attendance and racing--if you could even call it that--half marathons and marathons with minimal mileage under my belt. And now there's this.

The sample class I attended on Monday--more because it worked into my regular routine than to actually assure I was committed)--had me hooked. Two days after the fact and I'm still sore--it hurts to pull tops on and off--but I like workouts that inflict pain. Apparently I also like attention, perfection and challenge while I'm sweating. Each boot camper gets a coach for the duration of the program to help encourage and support you through the workouts. The coaches watch you with a keen eye and nudge you into place when a triceps press is out of alignment or your shoulders aren't stacked over your hands in plank. And then they challenge you to push yourself to the next level--lift your knees higher, quit cheating on your belly-drop push-ups (that was me), curling your biceps with heavier weights. Don't quote me--my mind shut off after our three cycles of 10 or so moves--but it's designed to change your body, enhance your yoga practice and improve muscle performance. Judging from the sample class, I have a lot to work on.


That means I'll really have to focus for two weeks starting February 6. Classes run Monday through Saturday--after orientation on Super Bowl Sunday, Sundays are rest days--mornings from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m., 7:45 to 8:45 a.m. on Saturday. That's the Gold Coast schedule anyway, the others are too early for my taste buds, but you can check with your local CorePower Yoga of choice to find out what's on tap.

Has anyone tried BootCamp? What should I expect?


Photo grabbed from CorePower Yoga.

Butt-Blasting Beach Beating

Whether you need an excuse to head outdoors on a cloudy day to workout or you have some body parts that aren't ready to go bikini bare as we zoom into swim season, there's always a will and a way to get beach body ready. And in Chicago, that couldn't come in better form than a free Memorial Day workout on the beach thanks to Core Fitness and its Beach Body class at North Avenue Beach. The class kicked off at noon--perfect for anyone wishing to sleep in on a day off or squeezing in a workout before an afternoon BBQ, or as yesterday would have it before rain clouds covered Chicago and washed away any sort of outdoor plans--and the usual $20-per-session fee was waived, appealing to both my unscheduled laze-away day and perpetually penny-pinching wallet.

Rarely--and by this I mean once--do I use the beach as a training tool but Core Fitness proved me wrong during Beach Body. Not only did I not care about sand sticking to my sweaty limbs and running down my shirt and pants, but it worked me out far more than an elliptical session covering the same amount of time could and would. The sand can be great to lay on to catch some Vitamin D rays, but it's even better for providing a butt-blasting, gut-wrenching workout. Or I'm just really out of shape (which I don't deny after plenty of lackluster workouts all winter, constant failures at Vision Quest cycling classes and a bonk at Saturday's race).

Plus all of those moves I always tell myself I should do to give myself a better workout--lunges, sit-ups, push-ups, yoga moves like plank and side plank, and even basic stretches I'll talk myself out of (bad me, I know)--are covered and there's no escaping their wrath. You'll be corrected by the Core Fitness trainers if you do it wrong and encouraged--or yelled at depending on how you look at it--by them if you skip out and quit. It's not easy or for the weary, but if you're looking to get fit fast or get fit and fast, this'll do it. The sprints kicked my legs in gear and made me feel every ounce of Saturday's run and Sunday's bike ride. The push-ups left my arms on fire, while my abs thanked me for the sit-ups. My hips, especially my right half-injured one, are feeling the mountain climbers, lunges and side shuffles. But no complaints because trust me, I needed the workout.

Reluctant to go at first because of the forecast of rain on the horizon, clouds covering the sky and chilly temperatures that had me wishing I could rewind to Saturday, I honestly was shocked to see the crowd already gathered at the meeting spot when I arrived and how many kept coming in the minutes afterward. A cloudy day doesn't stop this group--nor is it limited by age and gender. A long line of us ran through Lincoln Park on the way to the beach, kicking off the workout by jogging single file for half the distance then picking up the pace with the last runner in line sprinting to the front until we reached the beach, something about an Indian and running but I missed the exact term. A little chaotic when some runners surpassed others--I think I screwed it up when I saw I was last in line and took off toward the front--but good for getting the blood rushing. We hit the beach, dropped our gear and shed our shoes, and within moments, Mike from Core Fitness has us lining the beach to start the first part of the challenge, dynamic stretching. We're sprinting from one set of cones to another, adding other elements like skips, knee grabs, lunges, grapevines and shuffles to spur the joints into action. Then we're adding down dogs with foot stretches to the sky, cobra to stretch out the back and neck, mountain climb lunges that stretch out the hip flexors--think feel-good pain.

Next step, if my mind serves me correct, it's time to add perpetual motion to the training. Now we're sprinting then doing drills to work the rest of the body. Definitely not something I'm used to, both in getting friendly with the sand as I throw myself onto the ground seven times before sprinting back to the cones to hold in plank or Superman stretch, or really anything that starts to inflict achiness after holding it repeatedly. Later we were introduced to funny running--if only it merely consisted of laughing through a workout, ha. Take your usual running but mix it up by putting your hands on your head, running backwards, or partnering up to hold hands as you sprint back to start. Good news is you do get breaks between exercises, and sometimes they can't come fast enough. And that's especially true before the last round of cardio jolts. Think Simon Says kicked up a notch for this one. We're shuffling from left to right, sprinting forward and back, depending on the hand signals we see from Mike. Just as we start to shuffle right it's time to move left or we're sprinting forward about to run out of sand when we're directed to run backward then side to side. There's a time limit attached and in between the shuffles we're down in the sand doing push-ups, sit-ups, or mountain climbers before moving through the routine again. Note to self: I need some help with my push-ups and need to watch those around me before not following suit with my sit-ups or mountain climbs. Oops.

Anyone would love the last few minutes of class. After dropping to the sand and standing as many times as we can in a minute, it's time for cool down. Forget the blood-rushing, endorphin-inducing drills we just went through, lay down in the sand and simply concentrate on breathing. I felt like a disco ball was spinning above me at first--I think as a result of all the ups and downs and side to side motion my body just went through--but what a good wind down. And definitely something I'd want to do again, especially for all the core benefits I often ignore. Good for cardio, muscle toning, stress relief and more, who can complain about a little grunting in the sand? The 6 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday option might kill me--and send me straight back to bed rather than energize my day--but the class also meets at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Talk about an easy way to whip into shape and at no greater location than the beach. And among the Memorial Day Weekend activities I mentioned not to miss--Beach Body is easily among the top three if I were to rank them. Find out more information about the class by visiting Core Fitness' website at www.corefitnesschicago.com, or check out some of the other choices bound to whip you into shape. Photos taken by Core Fitness trainer Cortez--thanks for using my camera while busting my butt. Posted by Kate

Make It a Lululemon Day

If you haven't been able to tell from some of my previous posts, I'm a sucker for freebies, especially of the fitness and food variety. Discounts and sales are great too, but finding free deals are my favorite. And lately I've been on the hunt for new classes to amp up my fitness regime. While this deal is a Chicago special--especially for those living in Lincoln Park--a little web searching can turn up some events in an area near you because this store is all about customer education in addition to the merchandise up for sale.

If you're looking to get a workout in tonight and need it to be new and breaking from your normal routine, try visiting Lululemon Athletica's Lincoln Park location at 2104 N. Halsted. Kicking off at 6:30 p.m., the store will be hosting a boot camp workout taught by Lululemon ambassador Mike Thomson of Core Fitness. I'm penny-pinching and searching for things on the cheap and this event is free, plus you'll find an assortment of nibbles to munch on after the butt-kicking boot camp. Trust me, you'll get a workout from this class. With a combination of bodyweight plyometrics, strength drills, cardio moves and an ab blast, the soreness will set in after you wake up those tiny core muscles that have been resting all winter, or forever. But at least your muscles can scream at you while you sit through the rest of the program which includes a lecture on how testosterone and estrogen affect our bodies. So guys, this workout is for you too.

OK, so you're not in Chicago or you just can't make it to Lululemon tonight? If you have a Lululemon store in your area, check out the community page online and look for fun events happening near you. Many stores regularly offer free yoga or Pilates over the weekend taught by area instructors, or you'll find more boot camp-type activities. Photo grabbed from BTB Fitness. Posted by Kate